Can't Go Back
by Zaxxon
Summary: HTML To protect his family and friends, Ranma sought out the Hokuto Shin Ken Successor... Now, he is the Hokuto Shin Ken Successor....
1. Part 1, HTML

Can't Go Back  
Part 1  
by  
Shaule Sachs  


* * *

Version 0.1 HTML  
  
#include alternate_universe/std_disclaimer.h  
#include fusion/std_disclaimer.h  
#include hokuto_no_ken/std_disclaimer.h  
#include ranma/std_disclaimer.h  
#include souten_no_ken/std_disclaimer.h

**Note**: _Based off of and continuation from "Return of the Fist" (RAAC:/pub/archive/anime-fan-works/Ranma/ranma.fotns.return-of-the-fist) by Anand Rao (anandr@earthlink.net) with permission and modification from the few issues of "**Fist of the North Star**" that Viz has released to the original, complete **"Hokuto No Ken**" series by Buronson and Tetsuo Hara and currently-being-released prequel **"Souten No Ken" (Fist of the Blue Sky)** series by Tetsuo Hara._

* * *

Aimi Abukara stood in the deserted neighborhood of the Nerima Ward of Tokyo, and wondered again why she was there. For the past two years, Nerima Ward had been over-run by gangs and punks, who had driven out most of the people and businesses away. So much so that property values in the Nerima Ward were at record lows. Most of the Real-Estate Offices in Nerima Ward had closed within the last year, leaving Aimi's the last one. 

She stood awaiting, since she was ten minutes early, looking over her shoulder, fearful that this was a trap of some kind. In the last year or so, it was known that gang members would lure their victims out into the open pretending to wish to engage in honest business. 

But the voice on the phone was... too handsome (too masculine to be 'beautiful')... too honest... for her to believe that this was a trap. Plus, the voice was willing to pay twice the original price of the land. It was an opportunity Aimi could not pass up. Yes, she was a bit greedy... more over, she was lonely and hoping the man matched his voice... and was available. 

At a few minutes before the set meeting time, a car pulled up the street giving Aimi some hope... only to be dashed as a young woman stepped out of the car. The young woman, Aimi figured to be around several years young then herself, had purple hair and an athletic built... Obviously, a female gang member... the worse kind. Everything to prove, and nothing to lose... 

Aimi started to curse herself for letting her libido control her to the point where she was likely be killed in the next half-hour or so. Of course, it would be standard practice that she would be raped before she was killed. And having resigned herself to death, she found that she was actually looking forward to be raped. It would be the death of her but it would also end her dry spell of the last five years. 

"Are you all right, Miss?" inquired the handsome voice that had brought her to her fate and broke into her train of thought. 

Unbelieving, Aimi examined the person that spoke to her. He -- she know without a doubt that the person was male, she could feel it -- was wearing a pair of black, Kung-Fu slippers, black silk Kung-Fu pants (that fit very nicely, she thought), a red Chinese silk shirt, and a concerned face. The outfit hugged his form like a second skin, showing off his powerful, handsome form. There seems to be seven points on his chest that seemed to stand out, but she could not figure out why. Two points on top, two on the side, and three underneath, in the shape of the Hokuto Shichisei constellation. 

She didn't know who the man was, but he had guts, she thought, to dress like the legendary Ranma Saotome once did, before he disappeared two and a half years ago, taking with him, Nerima's protectors, such as they were, the so-called Nerima Wrecking Crew. 

Although, not a martial artist herself, she could feel the power and calm that just radiated off the man. It gave her a 'safe'-feeling. 

Taking a deep, relaxing breath, she smiled and replied, "I am now." 

The man smiled back, and she felt butterflies form in her stomach. 

The young woman cleared her throat and spoke a few quick, yet quiet Chinese words to the man, reminding Aimi of her presence, causing her to frown, to which the purple-hair woman smirked at. 

"Yes, to business," the man replied to both women with a smile that melted both their hearts. 

Aimi just nodded her head, unable and unwilling to interrupt the moment. 

"I believe, I've quoted a very reasonable price for the building and land, did I not?" the man inquired of Aimi. 

Aimi started to say that it was at least tenfold what the current market was asking for, but the man, cut her off with, "I don't want to haggle on the price. I... We don't have time for that." 

But before she could protect, the man moved back to the trunk of the car, removed a briefcase, which he then set on the hood of the car, took out a cashier's check and handed it to her. 

"There you go," the man said, pleased with himself as if he had just made the 'deal of the century.' 

Aimi looked at the cashier's check. It was drawn from the most prestigious bank in all of Japan, and recognized as legal tender in and of itself, although only cashable by her company. Whoever the man is, he had a lot of money supporting him, even if he didn't know how to make a deal. 

"How soon can we move in?" the man inquired as she examined the check. 

Aimi paused a bit, thought about it, and then replied, "As soon as you sign the deed." 

Before the man could ask when that was, she remarked with her own smirk, "Which I have with me." 

The man smiled in pleasure, and her knees went weak. 

With an amused look, the Chinese woman helped Aimi to her car, where she got the paperwork and deed out of and returned. 

Aimi set the paperwork upon the roof of her car, pointed out various places for the young, handsome, strong man to sign, and got down to business. Although, with the young man so close to her, it was a bit difficult to do. She had always prided herself on her work ethic, but something was different this time. It was not that she had such a dry spell, she's had them before... Although, never this long... No... There was something different about this situation.... For the first time since she moved to Nerima, she felt safe, secure, and protected. 

The formality of her work were finished much too soon for Aimi's liking. Especially, holding the young man's hand as she handed over the keys to the locks on the property. She begun to fantasy if the old saying about warm, strong hands were true when she heard the revving up of motorcycle engines. 

Aimi swore. 

Her clients looked at Aimi strangely as she began to swear, but she did not care. She knew that many, before they struck, revved up their motorcycle engines in order to intimidate their victims. 

Even before Aimi could finish swearing, eight motorcycles came into view. Seven of the riders were obvious male, wearing dog-collars, tight short-short, completely hairless from head to toe, and two straps that crisscrossed over their muscular chests. The effect, such as it was, was that the males were technically dressed yet completely exposed to any observer's viewpoint. 

"Looky, what we hav' 'ere," one of the boy remarked, eyeing Aimi and the Chinese woman with hunger. 

A female voice added, "Hmmm... fresh meat." 

The female of the group, in contrast, wore skin-tight body-stocking, with armor-padding for her shins, knees, thighs, forearms, knees, and shoulders. At the woman's side was a sword. 

//_Crap. That's Tobira,_// Aimi thought, knowing the female gangster's reputation. 

Tobira licked her lips as she took in the young man's form and exclaimed, "yummy." 

Aimi noted that neither of her clients were troubled. She wondered if they did not realize that they were about to be raped and killed, especially, the handsome young man. //_Just when I finally find a good-looking, good-mannered guy... I'm //going to be killed,_// she thought. She noted the puzzle look //upon the young man's face, as if he was trying to decide if this was //a joke or not. 

The young man frowned at Tobira, and Tobira took an unconscious step backward. Startled, she withdrew her sword, slowly examined the steel blade, and remarked, "Looks like pretty-boy don't know his place..." 

Looking straight at the girl, the young man asked in curiosity, "And that would be?" 

Tobira looked a bit uncertain, yet tried to maintain her reputation, she replied, "Why, naked and licking my feet, of course." 

The young man laughed and arrogantly smirked at the girl, "I think not. Especially, not to some uncute tomboy like you." 

"Why, you..." with that Tobira charged at the young man with an overhead strike. 

Aimi screamed and closed her eyes, unable to watch as Tobira would slice the young man to ribbons. She felt the Chinese woman's soft breath upon her ear, whispering to her not to worry. It was obvious to her that her clients had not a clue who they were facing.... Tobira was the city-wide kendo champion for the past several years, before joining the Snow Angel gang... She heard what sounded like a ring and she saw that the young man had foolishly blocked Tobira's sword strike with his forearm.... 

But to surprise of all, save the young man and the Chinese woman, when the bell sound cleared, Tobira's sword shattered into little pieces. 

The young man seemed to disappear and reappeared behind Tobira, sending an elbow strike between her shoulder blades, which knocked her down and out, all before Aimi could blink. 

The male gangsters just stood there dumbfounded. The young man seemly walked over to each one as if it was just the most causal thing to do and seemed to use a Shiatsu pressure point attack that dropped them to the ground. 

The young man shook his head and remarked as he overlooked the fallen gangsters, "It is obvious Nerima has changed a bit since I was last here." 

Shaken, Aimi hugged herself and only realized that she wasn't going to be raped and killed when the young man took her into his arms and told her she was all right now. Dimly, she hear the Chinese woman talk into a cell phone asking for a police car to come and clean up the gangsters. She snorted, knowing it would never happen. The local government and all had given up on Nerima over six months ago. She could only guess from the tone that the Chinese woman just learned that and gave out a curse. 

"Language, Yukiko-chan," the young man remarked, softly. "Just call Sakura." 

Yukiko just nodded at the young man's statement and began to call whoever this 'Sakura' person was. 

"Sorry about this," the young man said with a smile. 

Aimi just fainted into the young man's strong arms and inviting chest.   
= - = - =

Aimi felt a cool cloth across her forehead fall off as she sat up. Since the last thing she recall was the appearance of the Snow Angel Gang, she quickly took in her surroundings. She appeared to be laying upon a small bed that stood in the center of a small room, that was basically bare save a set of empty shelves against the far wall. She noted with a slightly blush, that she wearing only a paper gown, such as one wore to be examined by a doctor. And with that though, the room took on the appearance of a simple, small examination room. Which, given her memory of the events just prior to her fainting, was probably within the old Ono Clinic. 

"I see you are awake," a woman's voice interuptted her thoughts as Aimi checked out her outfit and room, wondering what was going on. She recognized the woman as the Chinese woman 'Yukiko' that was with that handsome... man... 

Upon seeing her face, Yukiko smirked and said, "Sorry, girl... Lord Ranma-sama wasn't the one to undress you and examine you..." 

Aimi blushed, at her embarrassment that her fantasy of being a patient of the handsome young man had not come to fruition. 

"You do have a lovely body, my dear," Yukiko continued smirked. 

Aimi blushed deeper, and her eyes went wide upon the realization of who must have undressed her and all then. Slowly recovering, she noted that Yukiko was wearing a tightly-fitting silk kimono that emphasized her womanly curves and athletic form. She frowned as she realized that Yukiko's chest was larger then hers and her waist smaller. 

Yukiko lead Aimi out of the examination room and into the main hallway, where Aimi saw several other women, dressed as Yukiko, given an almost quasi-military look to the group with some unknown-to-her color-grouping, going around with boxes and supplies, obviously getting ready to reopen the old Ono Clinic. 

Out of curiosity, Aimi peeked into the other examination room and let out a soft, quiet scream of surprise. There, in the other examination room, was Tobira, naked, collared, and chained to the floor in a kneeling position that looked a bit painful to her. Tobira's eyes were downcast, a slight blush on her face, a smaller chest then Aimi's (quick she was happy to note), and in a position that exposed Tobira's body to any passer-by. 

"Nani?" Yukiko inquired of Aimi's scream. Seeing Aimi's notice of Tobira, she remarked, "You need not fear her, anymore." With a smirk, she continued, "My lord tamed her. She's just like a kitty-cat now." Towards Tobira, she questioned, "Aren't you, kitty?" 

Tobira just quietly nodded her head in agreement and submission. 

Aimi could only stare, the infamous gangster Tobira, accused of thirty-five rapes (ten of whom were male victims), fifteen kills (five of whom were police officers, all by sword), too-many-to-count criminal offenses, and leader of one of the most active gangs in Nerima, was just kneeling there, like a blushing schoolgirl on her first date awaiting patiently for her date to arrive. She wondered at the Power of that young man, 'Ranma' that Yukiko had called him, to have done all she had seen so far. She also pondered if they knew the Yakuza would not stand by and allow one of their members to held in such a way. Sometime told her it would not matter what the Yakuza tried to do, Ranma would be victorious. 

"Yukiko-chan," Ranma growled in annoyance upon seeing Tobira. "That's not what I meant, and you know it..." He waved his hand towards Tobira, and the chains and collar fell off her. 

Aimi just stared, while Yukiko swallowed, and Tobira looked puzzled. Both, Yukiko and Tobira looked downward, as well. 

Ranma sighed, set a finger under Yukiko's chin, lifting her head up so he could look into her eyes as he said, "This ain't Joketsuzoku, anymore... We don't do things like that..." 

"This one is sorry, my Lord," Yukiko exclaimed humbly. "Please, punish me." 

"We don't do that either..." Ranma replied. With a smirk, he added, "Besides, you'd enjoy it too much." 

Yukiko gave him a half-smile. 

Aimi was puzzled, the only 'Joketsuzoku' she knew of were those crazy rumors of 'Joketsuzoku Amazons' that was supposedly apart of the legendary Nerima Wrecking Crew. //_But Amazons in this Day and Age,_// she laughed at her thought. 

Releasing Yukiko's chin, Ranma turned to Aimi and blinked. "Sorry about this," he said with a grin that made her knees weak. He spotted a young woman in a green silk kimono and called out, "Shai Li." 

The young woman, Shan Li, turned to him and asked, "Yes, Ranma-sama? What can I do for you?" 

Aimi didn't like the look this 'Shan Li' was giving him. Nor the fact that she was as athletically built and beautiful as Yukiko, even if she seemed to have a chest-size on par with her own. 

"Please find something for Aimi-chan to wear," Ranma stated in a calm voice. 

It was only at that moment, that Aimi recalled that she was only wearing a hospital paper gown. One that left her backside completely exposed, and barely covered her chest and crotch. Yet, Ranma's calm voice kept her calm and relaxed. Without it, she knew she'd be blushing and making a fool of herself as she vainly attempted to cover herself. 

In a short moment, Shan Li returned with a bundle of clothing, and directed Aimi back into the examination room. In which, she helped her dress in the skin-tight, silk kimono, hers a light brown color that went well with her eyes. The outfit did wonders for her figure, showing it off in a good way. 

Aimi was a bit disappointed that Ranma was not there when she stepped out, again, with a bit of a bounce in her step for his notice. She did hear both Shan Li and Yukiko giggle at her actions, to which she just scowled back. She absent-mindedly noted that Tobira was still kneeling as she was, although no longer chained up, and was checking out her figure to the three women's. 

Shan Li, then, lead Yukiko and Aimi back into the hallway and into the waiting room, where Ranma and another man were talking. 

Aimi recalled that the another man was Police Captain Daigoro Hajime of the Nerima Police Force, one of the few to remain behind. In the news of the past year or so, Daigoro usually had a frown on his face and a tiredness in his eyes. But he seemed ten years younger, with a smile in his eyes as he talked to Ranma. 

Daigoro spotted the three women and motioned them to join him and Ranma. Once they were close enough for him to give them the ole 'once-over', he whistled and exclaim, "Damn... Saotome-kun, they just come out of the woodwork for you, don't they? You are going to leave some for the rest of us, right?" 

"It ain't like that, Daigoro-san," Ranma replied quickly with a cute blush on his face. "I wouldn't..." 

Daigoro bursted out laughing, as an embarrassed Ranma tried to deny any hentai actions on his point. 

Ranma scowled at Daigoro, "Ain't funny, man." 

"You should have seen your face, Saotome-kun," he remarked with tears in his eyes from his humors. 

//_Saotome?_// Aimi exclaimed to herself. //_'Saotome,' he called him.... and she called him 'Ranma'... Could it be... 'Ranma Saotome?'_// 

With that, Aimi fainted. 

Fortunately, for her, Ranma was able to catch her before she fell too far. 

"I see the old Saotome-charm is still working," Daigoro joked. 

Ranma was going to say something, but decided to keep his mouth shut. 

Aimi stirred in Ranma's arms and muttered, "I just had the craziest thought..." 

"Oh?" Daigoro remarked with amusement. 

Aimi nodded and continued, "I just thought that he." She pointed to Ranma. "Was THE Ranma Saotome... Crazy, huh? THE Legendary Ranma Saotome came back to Nerima..." 

"The?" Ranma exclaimed in surprise. "Legendary? Me?" 

Aimi's eyes went wide, "You're, actually, the Ranma Saotome?" 

"The one and only," Ranma stated simply confused. "Don't think I have any cousins or anyone with the same name... I don't think. Of course, Pop never really ever talked about family..." 

"But... but..." Aimi stuttered. 

"I knew I was the greatest martial artists," Ranma continued with a touch of his old arrogance, before stopping himself. "Still, legendary?" 

"You did a lot of good, kid," Daigoro remarked with a bit of emotion. "Nerima hasn't been the same since you left on that training trip..." 

Ranma just nodded, recalling his encounter with the Snow Angel Gang and the lack of activity in Nerima and he drove in. Curious, he asked, "What happened? I mean..." 

Daigoro nodded as if expecting the question, "Well, after you left..." Ranma made a denying motion with his hands, but Daigoro continued, "I know... Training trip... You'd return as soon as you could.... But after you had been gone for six months, the Nerima Wrecking Crew fell apart without you keeping them together..." 

Daigoro had a small, sad smile on face as he stated, "It was actually quiet here for a several months... Even that old leech was off somewhere... But without that old leech and the Nerima Wrecking Crew stirring things up, the Yakuza and other moved in. Fueled by the rumors that you weren't returning... and then something happened at the Tendo Dojo..." 

Ranma interrupted, "Nani? Are the Tendos 'kay?" 

Daigoro just shrugged, "They're as 'okay' as they ever were... Although, few see the Tendo daughters out, save the youngest for classes, these days..." 

Ranma blinked then nodded his head. He turned to the two Chinese woman and said, "Shan Li-chan, you're in charge of getting everything ready. Yukiko-chan, go check what's been happening with the old -- with Elder Cologne -- I mean." 

"Where are you going?" Aimi asked out of curiosity. 

"Home." [=== End of Part 1 ===]

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Previous Index Next 

* * *

Last Updated: Mon Apr 19 18:46:53 CDT 2004   
History File 

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	2. Part 2, HTML

Can't Go Back  
Part 2  
by  
Shaule Sachs  


* * *

Version 0.2 HTML  
  
#include alternate_universe/std_disclaimer.h  
#include fusion/std_disclaimer.h  
#include hokuto_no_ken/std_disclaimer.h  
#include ranma/std_disclaimer.h  
#include souten_no_ken/std_disclaimer.h

**Note**: _Based off of and continuation from "Return of the Fist" (RAAC:/pub/archive/anime-fan-works/Ranma/ranma.fotns.return-of-the-fist) by Anand Rao (anandr@earthlink.net) with permission and modification from the few issues of "**Fist of the North Star**" that Viz has released to the original, complete **"Hokuto No Ken**" series by Buronson and Tetsuo Hara and currently-being-released prequel **"Souten No Ken" (Fist of the Blue Sky)** series by Tetsuo Hara._

* * *

As Ranma Saotome moved stealthy, more out of instinct then necessity, jumping from roof to roof, he could not help noting that Nerima had indeed changed in his absence. Even without his enhance senses, the changes seemed evident. Before, at any given point, there would be various people about, either training in the martial arts or competing in some martial arts contest. Now, there were no one out. Yes, he and the Nerima Wrecking Crew had causes some property damage, but the various Martial Arts Repair and Construction Schools would fix any such damage within, no more then a day... Yet, he could see various damage that had been, at least, a year old or more. With his enhance senses, he could feel the depression in the air, hear the worry of various parents for their children's sake, and smell the fear in the very air. 

Nerima had become a battlefield. 

Of late, the Light side was losing. 

How it had come to all that, he could not understand. After all, Nerima was not like this even before he came... So how could his absence, admittedly, of two and half years, cause all this? 

He understood that, historically, Nerima had always been an training grounds for Warriors and Martial Artists since the Kamakura Era, long before even Tokyo, itself, stood. But since the turn of the century, no true battles had been fought within the Ward, or so he thought. 

He had never been one to give credit to any conspiracy theory, but the information he got from Tobira... 

Tobira... 

Ranma shook his head. That had been happening a number of times lately. He found himself doing something that he had no true recollection of why he did what he did, only a vague feeling of necessity behind it. He had only meant to use the hikou Shinichi, to ensure she talked, just as he had done with the muscle-heads, but he found himself pressing additional hikous as well, one, to cause her skin to become super-sensitive in certain areas, and another, to control her reaction to that sensitivity, all to help break her will. Something he had never purposely done before. That it was not the first time that Tobira's will had been broken, nor that her will had ever fully recovered, which he could have only have found out by doing what he did, that only lessen his guilt for doing what did. Still, his instincts have never truly pushed him to do such things before. That Tobira could now be his spy in the Yakuza, unable to betray him without vast amounts of damage to herself, was never his conscious intentions, when he interrogated her. But that instinct was there. While it was part of the Lore of the Hokuto, that Kami-sama did affect the World through the Successor... neither he nor Ti Lin recall any previous Successor having one's actions dictated like that before. 

Still, ever since he return to Japan, he has had an uneasy feeling that something very-very bad was going to happen. And it had only gotten worse upon entering Nerima Ward. Something major was coming down the Future, and he needed to be prepared. 

All too soon, he arrived at the Tendo-ke.   
= - = - =

As Ranma approached the Tendo-ke, his senses told him that Daigoro-san's comments were understatements. For a moment, he had thought Ryouga was there, but the only male ki present was Soun's, and Soun's ki was weak compared to Ryouga's. 

He paused before entering... and realized that the door was locked. 

Locked... 

Out of everything he had yet seen since his return to Nerima, that the Tendo-ke's door was locked shocked him to his core. It was a concept that was completely alien to him. Yes, he knew of locks and such, but they were just for privacy, (although, that function never seemed to cooperate for him). Never in his life, on the Road visiting various Dojos, Temples and Training Grounds, nor his time in Nerima prior to his leaving to fully learn Hokuto Shin Ken, had he ever see or even heard of anyone locking their homes or Dojo. Not even after Shin had left him for dead, did anyone lock their homes... Heck, he did not even think the Tendo-ke had any lock when he left. But now, not only was the knob locked, but there was a dead-bolt and what felt like a chain on the door as well. 

Shocked, all he could think of, was to knock on the door, and see what would happen. 

After a moment, he felt his mother behind the door, with her sword in hand, demanding to know who it was. 

"Momma," he replied in a soft voice, still in shock. "It's me." 

He was troubled when Nodoka failed to reply, only standing there uncertain. Neither the lock, dead-bolt or the chain could truly keep him out, nor any martial artists of his father's caliber or above, still it was the very concept of that there was a lock on the Tendo-ke that troubled him. Even as run-down as the Tendo Dojo was and given Happosai's reputation, it was still a pillar of the community. 

He sent a very small bit of his ki through the door and into his mother's aura, to let her know it was him... to which, she dropped her sword, basically threw the locks and the door open, and hugged him as if he would disappear into the ether. 

It hurt him to see his mother crying into his shoulder, but all he could do was hug her back carefully, and whisper that everything was going to be all right now that he was back. 

Nodoka quickly took him inside, forgetting the door, and ushered him into the Dojo, where she told him to remain until supper-time. With backward glances, to ensure he did not disappear, she moved towards the kitchen, informing the others of his return. 

With a half an hour until supper being complete, he took started to meditate to pass the time.   
= - = - =

Even in meditation, Ranma could easily hear Kasumi in the kitchen asking Akane to go tell him as it was time for dinner, as well as listen to hustle and bustle in the Nekohanten and the Ucchan's, the Kunos in their mansion, and others all over Nerima getting on with their lives, although as cautious as the Tendos. He noted, absent-mindedly, that Ukyou's voice was absent from the Ucchan's and that Shampoo's Japanese had improved as she greeted various customers. 

He felt Akane as she moved from the kitchen to the Dojo. He noted her ki, and had to admit, given the circumstances involved, she was a half-decent martial arts hobbyist. Unfortunately, she lacked the very fire that drove him and the others in their quest for the Art. In his time in Nerima, before Shin, he had seen the others and himself advance, at least, by a kyu (class) or even a full dan (level)... all, save Akane. Now, he could feel that she had, at least, risen one, possibly two, kyus since his departure for China. He could feel the number of challengers that had sought him out from the dojo itself. They accepted Akane's challenge, in hopes to avoid wasting their time. He hoped that she took full advantage of the learning opportunity that was presented to her, while wondering if she even realized what an opportunity she had. 

No matter. He remained in his seated mediation position as Akane entered the Dojo, but rose before she could say anything. With his eyes, he noted that she was a lot smaller than he remembered her; but then he had matured and grown, literally, under Ti Lin's care and teachings. He stood a few centimeters above Soun now. And he had the bearing of a seasoned Warrior now. 

He noted her staring at him in puzzlement and a touch of worry in her features. He also noted that Akane had that look in her face that he had come to associate with Soun when he first came to Nerima, a look of profound loss and self-defeat. It seemed that Akane was truly Soun's daughter. He surmised that she did not take the opportunity for what it was, to learn from various people to improve herself, but only to wallow in self-pity at her defeats. The Akane he knew was an energetic girl, not the lethargic girl in front of him. 

So he was not too surprised when she said in a quiet voice, "Supper is ready, Ranma." 

He smiled at her, nodded, and then replied in a friendly tone, "Thank you, Akane-chan." 

A small, quick smile appeared as she took in his reply, but it just as quickly left, replaced by the sad-look she had wore upon entering. With a bit of effect, it seemed to him, she turned around and headed back to the dining room. 

He kept pace with her, and examined her body and soul as they walked. He noted that both her legs and right arm had been broken, several times, in different locations, in his absence. Her right leg had not healed correctly, several months back, giving her a slight limp to her walk. 

Once in the dining room, they both took their customary seating. Ranma watched as the others filled in. Nabiki was next, and seemly the least changed, but then according to the Tendo-ke's Wa, she had not been here too often, in fact, this was her first visit home in a year. She wore a simply college-logo t-shirt and jeans, with an economics textbook that she was reading as she sat down. Then Soun came in. If Akane looked like he did when Ranma had first come to Nerima, Soun now looked like the walking dead. His movements seemed mechanical, at best. After sitting down, he had a lifeless, spaced out look to him. Lastly, Kasumi and Nodoka appeared out of the kitchen with the meal. Nodoka, he observed, carried almost everything, while a withdrawn Kasumi followed behind her with the tea, held in her left hand, which was weird since she was right-handed. It seemed, to him, that Genma's death, his departure, the gang activities, and all the defeats Akane had, had a sucked the life out of the Tendo household. 

The passing out of the food by Kasumi and Nodoka was mechanical, yet efficient, with Nodoka passing out the heavier items, while Kasumi poured the drinks. Still, there was almost an art form to what they were doing and interacting with each other. Although, Kasumi had sent Akane to get him, by habit, he was forgotten at the serving of the meal. He decided to serve himself and let his mother and Kasumi sit down, rather than troubling them. 

The family ate in silence. Nabiki reading her book while eating and everyone else just looking at their plate like robots feeding themselves. If he did not know better, he would have truly thought them all androids. 

It became obvious that since his departure, silence during the meal had become the norm. He needed to change that. So he put a bit of his ki into his voice, to ensure everyone at the table heard him, he stated to no one in particular, "A month, no more." 

Everyone could only stare at Ranma stupefied as if first noticing him at the table, even though his mother had told everyone of his return. 

Finally, unable to contain herself, Nabiki asked, "A month for what, Saotome-san?" 

"Why, for long it will take to get the Dojo back up and running, Tendo-san," Ranma said sweetly to Nabiki. Speaking seemly to the air, he remarked, "Wouldn't you agree, Seiji-san." 

Soun could only blink his eyes in confusion. Akane and Kasumi casted nervous glances around, as Nabiki blinked at the unfamiliar name. 

"Or would you prefer, Happosai?" Ranma inquired. Although, still puzzled, everyone but Happosai, calmed down. "Come now, Happosai-san, you should know that there are only two fates for those who study Hokuto Shin Ken." 

"Death or succession," a pale Happosai replied nervously as he came out of the shadows. The various dark emotions floating around Nerima, his student's death, his inability to deal with Shin, and all had obviously taken their toll on him. He moved as one who felt all his years. 

Nodoka and the Tendo sisters paled at Happosai's pronouncement. Neither they nor Ranma, when he left, had known the Law of Hokuto. 

"Have a seat, Happosai," Ranma commanded. In a gentler voice, he stated, "I will abide by Kouryuu-dono's decision." 

Relief flooded Happosai's body as he sat down, bring some of the old Master of Musabetsu Kakuto Ryuu back, but he was still cautious of this new Ranma. 

Concern in her voice, as only a mother fearful of losing her only son, Nodoka asked, "What this about death?" 

Ranma sighed and with sad smile answered his mother, "That is the Hokuto Law. There is to be only one Hokuto Shin Ken Master, any other students are to die..." 

"And there is more then just death of the body," Happosai added quickly in an attempt to lessen the shock of the news. 

Ranma nodded, and continued, "Yes, there's the death of the mind and the death of the spirit, in this case, fighting spirit. 

"Those that fail to become the new Successor face three possible outcomes: first, they could be killed out-right, the Death of the Body; second, their knowledge of Hokuto Shin Ken could be erased, the Death of the Mind, for that removes anything associated with the Hokuto School, which includes memories, skills, or more; and third, they can have their fists sealed, the Death of the Spirit -- fighting spirit -- thus never again able to fight, even to defend themselves." 

"Is not that a bit harsh?" Kasumi wondered. 

"No," Ranma replied without any hesitation or doubt. "Hokuto Shin Ken is far too powerful to take any risks with improper use." 

"But, what does that have to do with Happosai?" Nabiki asked. 

Ranma answered with another question, "Do you know where Ganso Musabetsu Kakuto Ryuu came from?" 

Akane blinked and a bit of her old self shined through as she simply stated, "Happosai created it." 

"True," Ranma agreed, "But you do not think he made it from scratch, do you?" 

"Hey," Happosai protested. He quieted down after a look from Ranma. 

"As I said, those are the fates of those that study Hokuto Shin Ken and do not become the next Successor," Ranma lectured. "As it happens, one of the students from sixtieth Successor had his fists sealed, since he was not selected, but his knowledge of Hokuto Shin Ken was not removed. Although he could not use it himself, he was able to impart a bit of it to Sanga, who used that knowledge and various rumors to create 'Hokumon No Ken (Fist of the North Gate)[1].' 

"This Hokumon No Ken was but a small lake to the large ocean that is Hokuto Shin Ken. It was still very powerful, even though it lacked any of the gokui of the Hokuto. It was because of this lack of the gokui that it was allowed to continued, although it is monitored from time to time. Over the years, Sanga had three students it seems, Seiji of Japan and Cologne of the Chinese Amazons. Sanga's first two students were ignorant of the origin of Hokumon and its actual name. Since neither could fully master Hokumon, they only incorporated parts of it into their own styles... Cologne used only some of the tsubo point knowledge and some ki techniques from Hokumon and added it to her village's Wu Shu. To further distant himself, Seiji wisely changed his name to 'Happosai,' and turned what he knew of Hokumon and other martial arts styles into Ganso Musabetsu Kakuto Ryuu. Correct, Happosai?" 

"Hai," Happosai replied. 

"I thought you said that Sanga-san had three students?" Nabiki pointed out, "Happosai and Cologne-san are only two..." 

"Yes," Ranma remarked. "I'll leave the third student and current Hokumon Successor unnamed since he does not concern us at the moment, so there's no point in mentioning him at this time.[2] 

"Anyways, which is why the 'Death of the Mind' would be very bad for me. For Ganso Musabetsu Kakuto Ryuu is a descendent of the Hokuto, if once removed, so I would of lost not only Hokuto Shin Ken, but also Musabetsu Kakuto Ryuu as well. And having my fists sealed with how my life is would have been just as bad." 

Everyone just sat there looking at Ranma. 

"Getting back to the original conversation," Ranma continued. "Soun-san just needs a few weeks to get back into shape, and a week or so for a priest to purify the Dojo before we re-open it to the public." 

"A few weeks?" Soun and Happosai responded doubtfully. 

"Yes," Ranma replied. "That was my father's plan." 

"Gen-chan had a plan?" Nodoka asked surprised and a touch of awe and hope in her voice. 

Ranma nodded as he said, "Yeah... I'm as surprised as you are. More so, since this plan will actually work." 

"Nani?" Nabiki and Nodoka wondered. 

Ranma just smiled and handed over to Nodoka a scroll. She opened it, started to read it, and then dropped it startled. She blushed, picked it up, and handed it backed to Ranma. He just waved the scroll off to Happosai, who looked at it and nodded. Happosai, knowingly, skipped the beginning parts, which were obviously meant solely for Nodoka's eyes. Most of Genma's scrolls were like that. 

"Basically, it divides Ganso Musabetsu Kakuto Ryuu into two halves... The two halves, of course, are the Saotome and Tendo Ryuus. Saotome Ryuu would concentrate in the areas of unarmed techniques and aerial maneuvers, while Tendo Ryuu would concentrate on weapons and ground maneuvers. Both halves would teach a little of the other, and when both halves are used together, that's the Ganso Ryuu." 

It sounded so simple to everyone, and worse, it made sense. But since it came from Genma... Ranma had found the scrolls and books among his Father's personal effects, which Nodoka had refused to deal with, thus leaving the responsibility to him, upon his return. Everyone tried to see what was wrong it, but could not. So, as with all things that was not easily understood in Nerima, everyone just shrugged and moved on. 

Nodoka, Nabiki, Happosai, and Kasumi asked Ranma of his time in China, while Soun and Akane sat silently, not playing any attention to their surrounding. He told of the sights he saw: the mountains, the forests, the rivers, the various temples and Dai Chin's Dojo. He even spoke of the Nanto Capital that he and Ti Lin had gone to see the Nanto Emperor, to ensure that the Nanto would not be troubled over one of the Nanto Rokusei Ken Master's death. For as bad as Shin was, he was still one of the ruling Nanto Masters. 

In turn, Ranma asked what their viewpoints on what had been happening in his absence, but no one wished to tell him. It was obvious that, while they would not give voice to their fears of what was happening, their faces did. Nabiki did mentioned, in passing as a joke to relieve the tension in the air, that a temporary truce had been called until his return. Many had taken the time during his absence to go on training trips or in Ukyou's case, expand her business into neighboring Wards. 

Soon the conversation turned to the college, how Nabiki and Akane went to the same college, Nabiki as a business major, living on campus, and Akane as a liberal arts major, staying at home. Just as Nodoka was about to ask Ranma what his college plans were, there was a sounding of the Dojo Challenge bell in the back. 

Upon the hearing the bell, Ranma excused himself, got up and headed towards the Dojo with only Soun and Happosai trailing after him in apprehension. He noted the fear on Kasumi and Akane's faces. Which puzzled him, no gangster would waste their time with such formality, so it could not have been any of them.   
= - = - =

As Ranma walked into the Dojo, he noticed a young man, slightly older than himself, waiting there. His sense told him that the young man, boy really, was around Ukyou's martial arts level, a lot of training and focus, but lacking in formal instruction and vision. He noted that the boy's ki was somehow familiar. It only took him a few seconds to match the ki of the boy's to one of the older break in Akane's left leg. Of course, only someone with his knowledge would be able to tell that after the amount of time that had passed, which Ranma figured was about a year ago. The boy stood there in a traditional kempo gi, with a red-banana, and finger-less gloves, trying to give off a 'bad boy' attitude and smile. Even before, such a person would have pissed Ranma off, but now... and knowing that he was involved in braking one of Akane's legs... 

The boy had a puzzled look on his face when he saw Ranma, and from the disappointed look on his face, he was looking forward to beating on Akane again. 

Being formal, Ranma bowed to the boy and stated, "I am Ranma Saotome, and you have come here to challenge me, correct?" 

Neither Soun nor Happosai made any indications of anything being amiss with Ranma avoiding any titles. Nor his seemly dismissal of the boy as a martial artist. 

The boy laughed and said, "So you're the great and mysterious Ranma Saotome... I've been looking for... You don't seem like much to me." 

Ranma gave the boy a friendly smile and replied mysteriously, "You do not see very well then. Shall we begin?" 

The boy nodded and charged in straight at him, hoping to catch Ranma by surprise with his boldness and speed. The boy's speed was less the Ukyou's, he had plenty of time to analysis the boy's style, find several weaknesses, and do a crossword puzzle or three, yet, he allowed the boy's punch to just miss him by a centimeter. 

For the entire match, Ranma was the boy's shadow. Everything the boy attempted to do, Ranma dodged it with only a centimeter, no more, no less. The boy tried flashy move after flashy move, all without any success. To the observers, Ranma was Art-in-Motion, while the boy was clumsy. The boy was as focused as a fog bank, while Ranma was as tight as a laser beam. 

It was clear to both Soun and Happosai that Ranma was simply limiting himself to his opponent's skill and defensive moves only. Yet, Ranma was clearly the superior fighter. Since neither knew that the School of Hokuto believe in fighting an opponent on equal footing, they thought that Ranma's behavior was a left-over from the old Ranma. 

In a short time, however, the boy exhausted himself with all his flash and wasted posing, just collapsed face first into the Dojo floor mat, unable to move. Upon seeing this, Ranma sighed, wrote out a note, which he put in the boy's pocket, and just walked out of the Dojo, with Soun and Happosai trailing behind. In the time it took for Soun and Happosai to catch up to him, he had pulled out his cell-phone pressed a button and speak a few words into it and returned it to his pocket, before either saw it or heard the very short conversation.   
= - = - =

Upon returning to the dining room, Akane in a haunted voice asked, "Who... Who was the challenger?" 

"Just some two-bit street fighter looking to make a name for himself," Ranma replied causally, as if it was an every-day event. Which for him, it was. To change the subject, he said, "So what's on TV?" 

Nodoka commented that some special was on, but that she and Kasumi needed to clean up after dinner. Ranma would not hear of his mother missing some program on TV while he was perfectly capable of cleaning everything himself. With very little convincing he was able to send his mother, Soun, Happosai, Nabiki and Akane off to the living room. Only Kasumi was reluctant to go while there were still dirty dishes around. He knew using the Hokuto he could force her to go watch TV easily, but he did not wish to, so he compromised and allowed Kasumi to help him. It also gave him a chance to examine Kasumi more, and find out why she only took the kettle and only used her weak, left hand. 

With Ranma there, and taking the lion's share, cleaning the dishes from the meal was easy. He noted that at no time did Kasumi try to hold anything in her right hand, only her left. In fact, he could not recall at any point when Kasumi used her right hand much at all during his time there. 

After finishing, Ranma felt forced to make Kasumi show him her right hand. He could see and feel the tears forming in her eyes as he examine it. He did use a bit of the Hokuto, to calm her, as he examined her hand, wrist and arm. He noted that Kasumi were a bit wide in surprise, at either his expert touch or his ability to affect her ki and emotions so easily, he wasn't sure. Nor was he sure where Kasumi's blush came from. 

What he found did in his examination did not sit well with him. He noted that her right hand had been severely injured at some point seven months prior or so. Both the time frame and the ki was wrong for that street fighter he had faced earlier to have done it. In fact, he realized that the ki that injured her was female, but not matching either Shampoo's, Ukyou's or Cologne's. He did see that while the bone themselves had healed, the nerve endings and muscles had not. Thus preventing her from gripping or holding anything with her right hand. 

Ranma sighed, and using the Hokuto gently, he asked Kasumi to tell him what happened. Kasumi replied that some Warrior-Princess from China had come looking for him while he was away in China. Said Warrior-Princess was not happy that he was not there, and had took her frustrations out on Akane and Kasumi, who had been in the Dojo as a witness to the challenge. Kasumi said that Akane had both her legs broken by said Warrior-Princess, and then went on to destroy Kasumi's right hand before Happosai-san drove her off. While the hospital was able to mend Akane's legs, they could not completely fix Kasumi's hand. Towards the end of her tale, Kasumi began to cry. The old Ranma would have panicked then, but the new Ranma, with coaching from Ti Lin's spirit, took Kasumi into his embrace and let her cry herself out. With a gently smile, Ranma asked, "Feel better?" Kasumi nodded, a bit embarrassed. "Now that you do," Ranma stated calmly, "I can see about fixing your hand." 

"But, Ranma," Kasumi protested, "All the doctors said that was impossible." 

"For them, maybe, it is," Ranma replied calmly. "but they do not have Hokuto Shin Ken's knowledge of the body and ki." 

Kasumi watched with mixed emotions as Ranma touched various spots on her hand and forearm seemingly at once. Then he gently pushed on her forearm down to her hand as if pushing something out from her forearm out through her fingers. Afterwards, there was a bit in tingling in her fingers as he massaged her wrist and fingers, one by one, and then, for the first time, since the Warrior-Princess had injured her, she could move her fingers and gingerly, weakly grip something. 

"Thank you, Ranma," Kasumi said with a kiss. 

Ranma blushed and stammered out a 'It was nothing.'   
= - = - =

The others in the living room were surprised to see Kasumi with a smile on her face and a big bowl of popcorn in her hand. They were shocked to see Kasumi both hands properly again. 

Nabiki voiced the question of their minds, "How --" 

"There is little that Hokuto Shin Ken can't do," Ranma replied. 

With that everyone settled in with their favorite snack food and watched the rest of the television show.   
= - = - =

Several hours later, everyone but Ranma headed to bed. Before she headed to the guest room, Ranma stopped his mother and said, "Mom, Pops left something else behind in our special spot, beside that scroll." 

"Oh?" Nodoka wondered. 

"Here," Ranma replied and handed her a book. "Originally, I guess, Pops wanted to document our training trip and all, but that lasted only for a little while, about the first five pages. The rest of the book are... poems he wrote for you." 

Ranma blushed a bit at that last part. 

Nodoka smiled and said, "Thank you, Ranma. I'm sure your father is very proud of you." 

As he watched Nodoka continue on to the guest room, he thought, //_Who would ever imagine that Genma was such a great romantic poet._// 

His son would not have, yet he could not find any evidence of plagiarism. It was one of those mysteries of Life.   
= - = - =

Once everyone was off to bed, Ranma headed out of the Tendo-ke and moved swiftly to NIT's Medical Building. There he entered an office of one of the medical professors that was still occupied. Within the office was Doctor Ichiro Choshi, a sixty-two year old Chinese-Japanese physician. 

"Greetings, Choshi-sensei," Ranma softly greeted the old doctor in his native tongue. 

Doctor Choshi jumped upon Ranma's greeting him, since he was sure that he had locked his office and never heard anyone enter his office. 

"Be calm, Choshi-sensei," Ranma remarked in Japanese, with a touch of the Hokuto in his voice. 

Choshi-sensei was surprised to find that his heart and nerves where calm, even though they had but a second ago been racing. He tried to give Ranma his patented look of annoyance at him, but it was wasted. 

"And who might you be?" the doctor inquired. 

"I'm Ranma Saotome," he replied, "The student that my Sensei, Ti Lin-sama, told you about." 

The doctor thought over the names for a bit, then nodded in recognition. He asked with a smile, "And where is the lovely Ti Lin-sama?" 

With a sad look on his face, Ranma replied, "buried with her Ancestors." 

The doctor's sad look matched Ranma's. 

"Ti Lin told me that she set up everything I would need with you, Choshi-sensei," Ranma stated to break the silence that had fallen over them. 

Choshi-sensei nodded, reached into his desk, and pulled out a stack of papers which he handed over to Ranma saying, "Fill these out as best you can and give them back to me." 

Ranma took the papers, sat down, and started filling them out as the doctor went back to grading his student's exams. 

For the next few hours, the only sounds was pen on paper, the occasional shuffling of papers, and the sounds of the cleaning crew going about their rounds. 

Ranma, then, handed the papers back to the doctor and asked, "Is that it?" 

"Not quite," the doctor replied, "your papers must be checked and a review board to be convened." 

"And that will be when?" Ranma inquired. 

"Tomorrow morning," was the reply. 

With that, Ranma left as quietly as he came, heading back to the Tendo-ke to sleep. [=== End of Part 2 ===]  
[=== Notes ===]  
**[1]** What, you thought Amoeba was the only one to try to duplicate Hokuto Shin Ken? "Hokumon No Ken (Fist of the North Gate)" comes from the _Hokuto no Ken - Jubaku no Machi (Fist of the North Dipper - Cursed Town)_ novel by Buronson and Tetsuo Hara. I am assuming that it existed a century or so prior to the Novel, which is set after the _Hokuto No Ken_ series.  
**[2]** Does anyone really need to be told who this is?  
[=== End of Notes ===]

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Previous Index Next 

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Last Updated: Mon Apr 19 18:46:53 CDT 2004   
History File 

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	3. Part 3, HTML

Can't Go Back  
Part 3  
by  
Shaule Sachs  


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Version 0.2 HTML  
  
#include alternate_universe/std_disclaimer.h  
#include fusion/std_disclaimer.h  
#include hokuto_no_ken/std_disclaimer.h  
#include ranma/std_disclaimer.h  
#include souten_no_ken/std_disclaimer.h

**Note**: _Based off of and continuation from "Return of the Fist" (RAAC:/pub/archive/anime-fan-works/Ranma/ranma.fotns.return-of-the-fist) by Anand Rao (anandr@earthlink.net) with permission and modification from the few issues of "**Fist of the North Star**" that Viz has released to the original, complete **"Hokuto No Ken**" series by Buronson and Tetsuo Hara and currently-being-released prequel **"Souten No Ken" (Fist of the Blue Sky)** series by Tetsuo Hara._

* * *

At the crack of dawn, Ranma Saotome left the Tendo-ke and headed to the old Ono Clinic, checking with those there as to how well the reopening was coming. Shan Li had assured him that they would be ready for business tomorrow morning, and flyers would go out that afternoon. The new sign, proclaiming its new ownership and name, 'Nerima Hokuto Clinic,' was already up. In the Dawn's early light, the Hokuto Shichisei, that served as the background of the sign, seemed to glow and bath the clinic in holy light. As if Kami-sama, himself, had blessed it. Still, for Formality's Sake, a local priest would come in the afternoon to bless the building and grounds, purifying them. 

In truth, as the Hokuto Shin Ken Successor, he was actually a Warrior-Priest, and could, technically, bless the grounds and buildings himself. Not that many Successors, had much of a chance to fulfill their priestly duties, which were mainly for when they built and maintained their Hokuto Temple when they 'retired.' He was far from retirement, as well as the simple fact, he did not know where, or even when, he would get around to building his own Hokuto Temple, as was part of his priestly duties. Ti Lin's Temple was the cave she had lived in, and upon her death, it had caved in. Her father's Temple was a former Dojo, and in all likelihood, his would be similar. But that was for later.   
= - = - =

As Ranma left the newly refurbish Nerima Hokuto Clinic, heading back to the Tendo-ke, he had a folder tucked under his arm and a bit of a smile on his face. Yukiko had told him of her plans to meet with Cologne today, and 'explain' the new 'understanding' between the Amazon Nation and him. He was half-tempted to be there, himself, for it, just to see Cologne's face when she received the Council's degrees and news of his plans for the Future. 

How much of the Hokuto, Cologne truly knew besides the legends and rumors of Hokuto Shin Ken, he wasn't sure. Nor what Cologne would think of his 'forming' his own 'nation,' his 'Hokuto Society,' made up from those that wished to follow him and his Ways. He was surprised when so many had pledged themselves to his new society, knowing his Past and what might lay ahead. He was especially surprised that a few of the 'elite' of Amazons, Healers and Warriors, had willingly joined him, knowing they would be giving up many luxuries and glory of their old Lives. Of course, he accepted them equally, just as he had with the others, from both the Musk Dynasty, Mount Phoenix people, street fighters, and others that proved themselves. 

He knew the Amazon Council had sent a few with him, solely to gain intelligence on himself and Hokuto Shin Ken. After all, Shin had greatly injured Ti Lin, who they felt, being female, was the greatest of the Successors, so it was probably that it was only a matter of time until he too was weaken as well. That he had already surpassed his Sensei, even before his ascension to Successor, was only known to himself, his Sensei, the Nanto Emperor Souther, who had 'tested his mantle' for the sake of peace between Hokuto and Nanto, and the Nanto General Yuria, who witnessed the exchange of the full powers of Hokuto and Nanto, and the guy-bonding that occurred afterwards between two Brothers-in-Fate. Both of whom, swore before her, never to drink like that again. And this time, they meant it. Still, he had taken precautions, which every new member had to agree to, to preserve the nature of the Hokuto. 

He knew he had grandiose plans for the Future... more then any of his predecessors had. Yet it felt right to him. True, as the Successor he was the Kami of Death, but he knew and felt, he could be so much more. 

With that thought, he had a smile on his face, which he shared with the brave souls he passed on the street, who could not help in sharing his smile with others, spreading some much needed hope and joy into the Ward. The day got brighter as he went... 

Still, even in his cheer, his senses were active, thus he heard a disturbance occur a mile from where he was, and he went to investigate it.   
= - = - =

It was a good morning for one Asami Hasimoto, age twenty-five, as she strolled down the streets of Nerima. She had just passed her medical board exams and was on her way to start her new job as a nurse practicer at Nerima General Hospital. The air was a bit crisp and refreshing. And since school had started an hour or so ago, she had the street to herself... unfortunately. 

As she passed an alleyway, she was grabbed from behind and forced to her knees before three young men... 

All three youths wore dark-blue pants, light-blue street jackets, with medium-blue gloves, giving them an uniform-like appearance. Added the stylized red-black bloody cross on their backs and a stylized red-blue dragon patch on their right shoulder only added to the militant image. 

Asami did not like the look in the three youth's eyes, full of arrogance, lust, and the desire to hurt others. 

The first youth had a cruel smile as he looked her up and down and said, "Ohh... We're going to have fun with you, doll." 

The second youth took out a knife and nodded his head. 

The third youth did nothing but had a vacant smile on his face. 

Asami screamed as the cold knife blade passed over her chest, cutting open her blouse and bra. The third youth seem to be awaken by her scream, looked annoyed at her, and then hit her to silence her. The second youth continues removing her clothes by cutting them off. Asami cried silently to herself in shock that something like this was happening... She had accepted the position in Nerima because she felt she could do the most good there, but she heard rumors that things had changed in the Ward, but she could not imagine that not only something like this could happen... It could not happen to her. 

Asami remained very still as the first youth started to grope her exposed chest. Silent tears fell from her closed eyes as the second youth joined the first in fondling her. She because terrified when the third youth began to pet her hair and muttering about some pet cat... Unable to cope, Asami's brain shutdown.   
= - = - =

Ranma looked at the three youths with disgust on his face. As much as he wished to tear the animals apart... that wasn't his way. Instead in a controlled voice, he asked, "What do you three think you're doing?" 

The three youths blinked and jumped away from Asami until they saw it was just a single youth seemingly of their age. The three went back to fondling Asami's unconscious form, ignoring Ranma. 

Ranma tried again, "You have only a few seconds to answer me..." 

"Or what?" the second youth replied. 

The first youth snorted and remarked, "Baka kid, go play somewhere else. We're having our fun here." 

Ranma just shook his head and replied, "We don't like such things here." 

"Oh? Whose foolish enough to mess with the Crimson Tigers?" the first youth stated, to which the other two youths made sounds of agreement. 

"Oh... I know of several here would kick your ass with easy," Ranma said casually. 

"And you're going to go run away and get them?" the second youth ventured. 

Ranma cracked his knuckles, smiled and replied, "No need." 

The last youth fell to the ground, unconscious, in the space of half a heartbeat. In addition to rendering the youths unconscious, he had pressed several tsubo points that will cause the youths to speak only the complete truth, weaken their muscle structure to the point where they will barely be able to withstand their own weight let alone use any weapon, even a plastic knife, and have a reduced hormone level. 

By the time that half a heartbeat became a full one, Ranma was next to Asami, examining her, and found nothing broken or life-threatening. He used some hikou point to dull her memories of what happened. He didn't think it would be a good idea to erase them completely, although, he could easily do so, but just lessen them to something that came from a common nightmare. Seeing that her clothes were shuddered, he removed his shirt and covered her with it.   
= - = - =

Officer Reiko Yonai was no stranger to Nerima. In fact, she, herself, was a martial artist of some fame, having always won all the Kendo tournament she had entered since the age of fifteen. After winning the Nation-Wide Kendo circuit three years in a round, she had gotten bored and joined the Nerima Police Force looking for some excitement in her life. Something that the Nerima Ward of Tokyo had in spades, especially now. She and several other native Nerimians on the Police Force were not about to give up on their homes as the others had. 

As she made her morning foot-patrol, she thought she heard the sound of fighting coming down a particular alley way. When she got there, she just stared at the scene before her. 

Laying on the ground, unconscious, where three Crimson Tiger gang members, who had been terrorizing Nerima for the past year or so. Whom the Police had been very ineffective in dealing with. Upon the rare occurrence of arresting such a gang member, which always resulted in a lot of down-time for a number of officers, some low-life lawyer came and sprang them. 

A bit nervous, Reiko gripped the bokken she had in place of the standard issue police-baton. 

Then her eyes fell upon the handsome young man... 

Her grip on her bokken changed from Kendo one to a much older Art. Her heartbeat which had begun to race from fear, now, beat faster from another instinct beside fight-or-flight. Her Kendo ready-stance changed to one that showed off her body from one that protected it. 

As she examined the young man's body and bare chest, she licked her lips to moisten them. She came to his upper chest and the seven-scars there, she glupped nervously, knowing this wasn't average martial artists, even for Nerima. She quickly raised her head to take in the young man's face, beautiful smile and gently blue-grey eyes, which calmed her down her nervousness a bit. As for her hormones that had died with her nervousness in meeting one of the infamous Nerima Wrecking Crew face-to-face, returned, but subdued to the realization she was still on-duty and three unconscious Crimson Tiger gang members were laying on the ground not three meters away. 

"Hello, Officer Yonai-san," the young man greeted her in soft voice that belittled his rugged looks. "Those three... punks... over there, tried to assault this young lady. If you would kindly call for a wagon, you can take them to jail without any more trouble." 

Reiko blinked at that and very timidly asked, "How do you know my name?" She mentally berated herself for not speaking in a normal voice. 

The young man smiled and just pointed at her name tag over her left breast. 

Reiko just blushed in response. 

After a moment of comfortable silence, Reiko stated in a sad voice, "Without a statement or a confession, we won't be able to hold them..." 

Reiko took an unconscious step back as she saw a touch of anger on the young man's features. 

With a touch of power in his voice, as if he was a kami, he said, "That won't be a problem, Officer." 

And for some unknown reason, Reiko truly believed that the young man was correct. 

Reiko watched as the young man picked up a young, very beautiful (no she wasn't jealous... really... she wasn't... no matter that she wanted to be in the young man's arms like that... held like that... sigh...) woman, whom she had not truly noticed before. 

While in her little hentai daydream starring the young man and herself, said young man was walking away!!! 

"HEY!" Reiko shouted while blushing. "Stop!" 

The young man had amused smile on his face as he turned his head towards her in an inquiring manner. 

"You can't just leave a crime scene," Reiko stated officially. Under her breathe she muttered, "Besides, I haven't gotten your phone number yet." 

Reiko was a bit puzzled when the young man's face seem to have gotten a bit fluttered, as if he heard her muttering. 

"I need to get this young lady somewhere she can relax," the young man said. 

"Well, I can have a ambulance here in ten minutes," Reiko stated with proud. She was proud her Ward still functioned despite all that was occurring. 

"That won't be necessary," the young man replied. 

"But," she began. 

The young man seemed to take on a thoughtful look, then brighten as he reached into a pant's pocket and pulled out a business card. As he handed her the card, he said, "Here you go. You can contact me at the phone number listed below." 

And with that the young man left. Reiko wouldn't be able to tell anyone in which direction the young man went in, since she had been concentrating on memorizing his butt too much. She did call for a pickup for the three gang members. After which she, finally, looked at the business card and noticed the name. 

Ten minutes later, the responding officers found a shell-shocked, blushing-so-much-she-glowed Officer Reiko Yonai.   
= - = - =

Ranma took the young woman back to the Medical University, since he would get less questions there, and Shan Li had reported that the Clinic, currently, had no room for patients at the moment. Doctor Ichiro Choshi was, of course, surprised to see him back so soon. 

"Can't wait to begin, Ranma-sensei?" Doctor Choshi joked. 

Ranma tried to smile at his new title, but failed as he said, "This woman was attacked just a little while ago. I have healed her physical injuries and dulled her memories of the incident to something of a common nightmare. I think it would be best if she woke up in a hospital room and as well as had someone to look after her for awhile." 

Choshi-sensei nodded and proceeded to help Ranma admit the young woman to the medical university's hospital wing. To help with the paperwork and the legalize, Choshi-sensei assigned himself as the primary doctor, since Ranma had only been certified in traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture, Shiatsu, and the like. While he couldn't work in a hospital, not yet at least, but could and did run his own traditional medicine clinic as Tofu Ono did, without any problems. Of course, Ranma wasn't satisfied with just that. 

Since no one knew who she was, she was registered as Jane Doe[1]. Ranma assured Choshi-sensei that she would remain asleep for the rest of the day, awaking with tomorrow's sunrise. With that, Ranma faced the review board, who grudgingly passed him.   
= - = - =

It was slightly after lunch time that Ranma returned to the Tendo-ke. Both Kasumi and Nodoka frowned at seeing him. 

"Ranma-chan," his mother addressed him, in full worried-mother mode. She rushed on, "Where have you been? What about your education? Did you finish High School? Are you going to College? What courses will you taking?" 

Ranma blinked, noting she had said all that in a single breath, and replied in a mature voice, "I was out taken care of several things for the Future." 

Of all the responses she expected from her son that was not one of them. As such, she could only stand there blinking her eyes in confusion. 

"Which reminds me," Ranma said simply, "this is for you, Kasumi-chan." 

Kasumi could only blink as she was handed a folder of papers. 

With that, Ranma walked out of the hallway and into the Dojo.   
= - = - =

Ranma counted down until his mother, moments later came storming in, saying, "No son of mine will be a ronin!" 

Calming his mother down a bit with the Hokuto, he stated, "Of course not, why should I be a ronin? When I can be a medical doctor." 

"Doctor?" Nodoka echoed in surprise. 

Ranma nodded, handed his new business card over to his mother, and said, "I plan on re-opening Tofu-sensei's clinic in the next day or so, and take modern medical classes as I can. While I'll never be an ordinary medical doctor, I can get certified...." He thought, //_As long as my Hokuto duties don't interfere._// 

Nodoka could only nod her head in agreement. Her face brighten at the idea of her son, her manly son, going to be a Doctor.   
= - = - =

Seeing that his mother was off in her own little world, Ranma went back into the living room to check on Kasumi, who hadn't moved an inch after reading the folder containing her acceptance letter and full scholarship to the University of Tokyo's Medical School. 

Ranma waved his hand in front of Kasumi's face, and got no reaction.... so he tapped a hikou point to reset Kasumi's brain and get it into gear. 

For a second, Ranma thought he had messed up, even a Hokuto Masters weren't perfect, when Kasumi began to cry. But he could tell from her aura that, and Ti Lin's knowledge and spirit confirmed, that it was a cry that was long overdue. So Ranma just enfolded her into his arms and held her. 

As he held Kasumi, he noted how small Kasumi now seemed, both because he grew some additional height and the false front that Kasumi had put up when he was around before... He didn't know that Kasumi had been doing less and less around the Tendo-ke since he left, withdrawing further and further into herself since he left to study in China. 

After the incident with the Warrior-Princess, Kasumi had been nothing more then a robot that followed Nodoka around. But with Ranma back...   
= - = - =

Ranma, quietly, held Kasumi in his arms and wondered if he had not left, would things still be as bad as they seemed? He had noted that Officer Yonai had no problems with his version of events, that she took it for granted that someone in Nerima could have gotten raped, something unthinkable before he left. Still, she seem to have been willing and determine to take action about the punks, whether he was there or not. He would need to check with Daigoro-san about her. 

After some time, Kasumi regain control of herself and stepped back, looking a bit worried at what he thought of her for falling apart like that. He just smiled at her until she smiled back. 

"Feel better?" he inquired. 

Kasumi only trusted herself only to nod her head. 

Ranma bent down, picked up the folder that Kasumi had dropped, and handed it back to her. 

Gently, he said, "You need to decide soon, if you wish to join this semester, since the semester will starts in a week. Or you can wait until next..." 

"A week?" Kasumi's small voice asked. 

Ranma nodded his head and said, "Here, let me show you what's available." 

He and Kasumi sat down, he opened the folder and set the various school booklets out. He sorted the schools out, based on program and location. He went over what each school had to offer as well as their pros and cons. 

Kasumi was amazed that knew so much and said as much. 

"Well," Ranma said shyly, "Even before... Shin... I was thinking of becoming a doctor..." 

Kasumi gasped. She couldn't conceive of the idea of Ranma as a healer... It was not that Ranma couldn't be a doctor... it was simply that she still had that impression of that long-lost child that first came to the Tendo home so long ago. She could only sum up her feelings with an "Oh my." 

Ranma just smiled at her. He knew that even after Saffron, no one, not his parents, thought of him as nothing more then a Martial Arts Instructor. Never mind that his father only had trained him to be a martial artist, not an instructor. Genma never understood the difference between an instructor and a practicer. 

Well, he had a number of surprises for everyone.   
= - = - =

Nabiki was surprised to find Ranma and Kasumi sitting, going over some pamphlets, and just seemly enjoying each other's company. Out of curiosity, she reached for a pamphlet to see what they were studying, but she was frozen in her tracks from a look from Ranma. She had always thought of him as just like her Imooto, a dumb jock, whom she could out-think quite easily. For after all, brains over brawns and all that... But, this new Ranma... there was an intelligence... and power... something she realized she missed in the old Ranma, either because of his naivety, which she mistook for stupidity, or because she had type-casted him with Akane. 

"Oh? Nabiki when did you get home?" inquired Kasumi with a smile. Nabiki noted it was the first genuine smile on her face that she could recall seeing in a long time. 

"I've been home for a while now," Nabiki found herself saying. She was going to lie and say that she just got home, but Ranma's look, somehow, kept her from doing so. 

Excited, Kasumi motioned Nabiki around the table and exclaimed, "look at all the school pamphlets Ranma-kun got for me..." 

Surprised, she did just that, noting that all the schools were top-notch, with great reputations, and on the high-end of the price range. Despite seeing her Oneesan's excitement, she found herself remarking as such. 

Kasumi frowned and seemed almost on the verge of despair, which had Nabiki feel like a heel. 

Ranma hugged Kasumi and replied, "Kasumi-chan, the price of the school doesn't matter." 

"Nani?" Kasumi inquired. Nabiki looked sharply at him thinking, //_if he hurts my sister, I'll..._// 

He picked up a piece of paper that Kasumi had set aside and showed it to her, saying, "You have a full scholarship, Kasumi-chan. Guaranteed by the Kitaooji Foundation for Women's Education. That you never have to repay or anything..." 

Silence reigned for several moments as that bit of information sunk in. 

Kasumi's laughter broke the silence. She laughed until she started to hiccup. Both Nabiki and Ranma drew concerned, but Nabiki didn't know what to do. Ranma's hand reached out, seemly caressed Kasumi's face, gently, and her body fell unconsciously into Ranma's arms. He picked her up and carried her to her bedroom. 

There, he gently set her upon her bed, undressed her to her underwear, let her under the covers, and gently caressed her cheek. All without a sound that Nabiki could hear as she followed him. 

Upon away from Kasumi's door, Nabiki begin, "Sao--." 

Ranma touched her, and she lost her voice. She also found that she could not move. The look on his face scared her. It was a look, she had only heard about from the others... when he had faced Saffron or got a small glipses of when he spoke of this final confrontation with Shin. She finally understood what Ryouga had meant when he had called it, 'the Face of a Warrior.' Had she control over her bladder at that moment, her shorts would be wet, and she would be busy making out her last will and saying prayers for her soul. 

In a soft, yet powerful voice that seemed to go no further then her ear, Ranma stated, "Do not spoil this for her, Tendo-san. Kitaooji Foundation is a legitimate scholarship program, created by Aya Kitaooji-dono, to ensure girls like Kasumi-chan, could pursue higher educational endeavors. Admitedly, mostly to find more worthy husbands, but, also to improve the community as a whole. Kasumi-chan needs this... Don't take away her dream." 

With that Ranma walked away, and a few moments later, Nabiki noticed she could move again. She blinked her eyes a few times. Her shorts were wet, she realized, and not just from her bladder.   
= - = - =

"That was a bit cruel, Ranma-chan, what you did to Nabiki-chan," Nodoka told him as she sat down next to him. He had known she had observed since Nabiki's comment about the cost of the schooling. She took his hand into her own, noting that his was larger, tougher, and powerful. 

Ranma just looked at his mother evenly, not saying anything. 

"My boy has grown up," she said sadly after a pause. She started to cry. 

Silently, he took her into his arms and just held her, saying nothing, but just being there for her. In his mind, he was frantically reviewing various techniques to help his mother, but his mind could not come up with anything, so he just held her. 

After a moment of silence, Nodoka pulled herself together and asked in a curious voice, "Where did you learn of the Kitaooji Foundation, Ranma-chan? While what you said is true, it's not widely known." 

"Ti Lin-dono had mention it," Ranma stated simply. It was not a lie, per say, since she had. He just was not going to mention the fact that Aya Kitaooji was Ti Lin's mother, whom she had 'late' in life. 

Nodoka just looked curious at Ranma and remarked, "Did you know that I had gotten into college on such a scholarship?" 

Ranma's eyes blinked several times. The image of his mother as a student... a teenager... kept going through his head, over and over again... 

Nodoka continued to speak, but Ranma was not paying any attention until she concluded with a smile, "And that's how I met and fell in love with your Father." 

Ranma blinked, and felt he just missed something important. But the concept that his mother was stuck at home in her teens and early adulthood, a virtual slave to taking care of her family and home, with little or no money to support said family, would not leave his mind nor allow any other thought from entering. Then his mother's last statement registered in his mind... and, for some reason, the closing scene of an old samurai drama came to mind, with Genma as the male lead and his mother as the love-interest. It was just such a comical scene in his head, that he had to laugh. 

Nodoka blushed and muttered, "I guess, looking back, it was funny..." And laughed a bit herself. Although, it sounded forced to Ranma, which brought him out of it. 

He just hugged his mother and mentioned that he loved her. He noted it was lunch time, so he fixed himself and his mother some sandwiches and tea. They ate in silence.   
= - = - =

There was a knock at the front door, and Ranma got up and went to get the door. He was not surprised that Daigoro Hajime knew were he was, nor that he would come visit. He ushered Daigoro in and to the kitchen, offering him a seat and tea. 

Nodoka took in Daigoro's uniform and looked questioningly towards Ranma. 

"Daigoro-san, my mother, Nodoka Saotome," he introduced. "Mom, this is Police Captain Daigoro Hajime-san of the Nerima Police Force, Special Unit One." 

"A pleasure to meet you, Saotome-san," Daigoro remarked politely, "Your son is a true man among men." 

Nodoka beamed in pride. 

Ranma just shook his head. 

"What brings you here, Hajime-san," Nodoka inquired. 

Daigoro smirked, and stated, "To ask, once again, for your son's help, Saotome-san." 

Ranma quietly groaned and tried to motion for Daigoro to stop. But his smirk just grew. 

Curiously, Nodoka remarked, "Again?" 

Daigoro tried to look surprised and said, "You didn't know?" 

"Know what?" Nodoka added, getting a bit impatient. 

"Why for the last four years or so, your son has help my Unit and others deal with some of the exotic Martial Artists that have popped up in Nerima from time to time. As well as help train some of the officers in Nerima," Daigoro stated, knowing full well that Ranma had hidden such activities from his family and friends. 

Nodoka looked sharply at her son, who just shrugged and muttered something about a 'Martial Artist's Code' and helping those that could not help themselves. She smiled at Ranma's embarrassment and knowledgement that her son was a man among men. 

"Why, did you know, Saotome-chan," Daigoro added, "that just this morning, your son stopped three Crimson Tigers from raping a young woman?" 

Her eyes got wide and checked to see if Ranma was alright. 

Ranma snorted in disgust, dismissing Nodoka's concerns, and explained, "Heck, Akane could have taken those punks." 

"Language, Ranma," Nodoka began. "But..." 

"Well, she could have," Ranma defended himself. 

"While, I have known Ranma too long to doubt his assessment of the situation involving Martial Arts," Daigoro remarked. "The Crimson Tigers were trained in Nanto Sei Ken." 

"Nanto?" Ranma exclaimed in surprise. "How? They found some scroll in a box of cracker-jacks?" 

Daigoro blinked and evenly replied, "By a Nanto Sei Ken Master..." 

Now Ranma was surprised and blinked, "Shin?" 

Daigoro nodded, "Correct." 

"Unlikely," Ranma answered back. 

"How do you figure that, Ranma-san?" Daigoro asked in curiosity. 

Ranma frowned and just stated, "I faced Shin." 

Daigoro paled and forced himself to repeat Ranma's statement, "You faced Shin of the Nanto Sei Ken?" 

"Nanto Koshuu Ken," Ranma corrected absently while pondering what Daigoro had just said. 

"But," Daigoro began, but stopped as Ranma opened his silk shirt, showing him the seven wounds in his chest in the shape of the Hokuto Shichisei constellation. 

"As I was, I didn't have a chance," Ranma stated calmly. In a controlled voice, he added, "Shin was 'taken care of' before I left on my training trip." 

"How?" Daigoro wondered. 

"In most things, there is a ying and a yang," Ranma recited. "The yang to Nanto Sei Ken's ying is Hokuto Shin Ken." 

"Hokuto? As in Hokuto Shichisei?" Daigoro asked. Seeing Ranma's nod, he added, "As in Hokuto Nerima Clinic?" 

"Hokuto Nerima Clinic?" Nodoka asked puzzled. "There's no such place..." 

"It's easier to show you," Ranma mentioned. He took his mother into his arms and went off to show her the Hokuto Nerima Clinic. 

[=== End of Part 3 ===]  
[=== Author Notes ===]  
[1] I don't know what the Japanese equivalent is.  
[=== End of Author Notes ===]

* * *

Previous Index Next 

* * *

Last Updated: Mon Apr 19 18:46:53 CDT 2004   
History File 

* * *


	4. Part 4, HTML

Can't Go Back   
Part 4   
by   
Zaxxon   


* * *

Version 0.1 

#include alternateuniverse/stddisclaimer.h>   
#include fusion/stddisclaimer.h>   
#include hokutonoken/stddisclaimer.h>   
#include ranma/stddisclaimer.h>   
#include soutennoken/stddisclaimer.h>

Note: Based off of and continuation from "Return of the Fist" (RAAC:/pub/archive/anime-fan-works/Ranma/ranma.fotns.return-of-the-fist) by Anand Rao ) with permission and modification from the few issues of "Fist of the North Star" that Viz has released to the original, complete "Hokuto No Ken" series by Buronson and Tetsuo Hara and currently-being-released prequel "Souten No Ken" (Fist of the Blue Sky) series by Tetsuo Hara.

* * *

"It's easier to show you," Ranma Saotome had mentioned to his mother, Nodoka Saotome. Having said that, he had taken her into his arms, and taken her to the newly renamed 'Nerima Hokuto Clinic.' Daigoro Hajime trailed behind them as they took the 'Nerima Express.' What others would call jumping from rooftop to rooftop. 

Upon arriving, Ranma set his mother down, she noted that Hajime-san was slightly winded and took some effort to keep up with her son, who looked as if he had mere leisurely walked from the next room over, instead of the several miles that had separated the Clinic from the Tendo-ke.

And then she looked at the Clinic, itself. While she had only passed it once or twice in her time in Nerima, Tofu-sensei had left long before she came to Nerima, but even so, even she could tell the difference.

The Nerima Hokuto Clinic was easily twice the size of its former state. The building, itself, had a more traditional look and feel, then the office building it was. There was a visible garden on the side that seemed to go all the way to the back of the building. In the time since its closure, the building had been run-down and neglected. But now, the building looked like new, and the ground well groomed. The sign that proclaimed its new name was clearly visible, the Hokuto Shichisei in the background seem to give a night-sky, comfortable feel, and one could almost make out the Dragon that was associated with the Hokuto, guarding the Clinic from evil spirits and giving its wisdom to those that came under its protection.

There were several people, mostly female, moving around the area, tending to the garden, sweeping the porch, and seemly moving around. The word was discreetly passed inside that Ranma was there, and a group of three women came over to talk with him.

Nodoka took a good look at them, she noted all were around the same age as her son, give or take a few years, all had respect in their steps for her son, and some of the young women seemed to sense how manly her son was. She smiled.

"Lord Ranma-sama," one of the women greeted him with a bow of respect. Nodoka noted the formal suffix of respect and title that the women used to greet her son.

Ranma acknowledged the bow with his own formally and introduced the group to his mother, "Mother, this is Shan Li, a Healer from the Joketsuzoku Amazons village that Cologne, Shampoo and Mousse are from. To Shan Li's right is Orange, a Healer from the Musk Dynasty. On Shan Li's left is Naoko Iseki."

Each in turn, bowed respectfully to Nodoka, and she to them.

"Is all in readiness?" Ranma asked the group.

Shan Li nodded, "Hai."

"Good job, everyone," Ranma said simply, yet his voice seem to carry over the entire grounds and inside the building for all to hear. And when they heard his voice, they all came out to stand with him. In all total, there were fifteen women and three men present, plus Ranma, Nodoka and Daigoro.

* * *

All were present to welcome Master Khan and his five Shaolin priests that came to bless the grounds and building. They performed the rituals and recited the blessing with a grace and beauty, few present had ever seen, and while moving efficiently and economically, still took over several hours to finish. 

After its completion, Ranma invited the priests in for tea, which he personally made in the traditional manner and served to everyone. Each, sipped and enjoyed the tea and tea-cakes, in his or her own silence. Ranma noted that Master Khan had a thoughtful look upon his face, but remained silent, knowing that the Shaolin Master would only speak when he wished to.

Slowly, but surely, everyone but Ranma and Master Khan left the room. The five Shaolin priests returned to their Temple duties, the others went around making sure everything was in place, while Shan Li showed Nodoka and Daigoro their way around the clinic. Both men enjoyed the silence, and sipped their teas slowly.

"Where Hokuto goes, Chaos follows," Master Khan quoted the old proverb.

Ranma merely nodded his head acknowledging the proverb. It explained a bit of what happened when he and his father came to Nerima. And with Soun and Happosai already there...

"It is a bit strange though," Master Khan continued, more to himself then to Ranma, so he remained silent.

Patience was something that took him a long time to learn, and he had yet to master it. To point, Ranma asked, "What's strange?"

Master Khan remained silent for a moment, pondering if he should speak or not. He concentrated on the tea leaves in his cup, as if divining an answer. After several moments, he answered, "These grounds and all... It was almost if they were blessed already... before we came here."

A curious look appeared on Ranma face, but this time, he kept himself from inquiring. If Master Khan wished him to know, Master Khan would tell him.

"No matter," Master Khan finally remarked. He got up, as he was almost to the door, he added, "I wish you well, Master Ranma-san, and may the gods favor you in your Duties."

Ranma surprised, just stared after Master Khan.

* * *

It was a slow day at the Nekohanten, for which Cologne was thankful for. Last night, she had a bad dream, and had looked to the morning stars for assurance. She saw that the Hokuto Shichisei, her personal stars, were brighter then she ever had recalled seeing them in some time. A good omen, she felt. Yet, there was a uneasy in her that she could not explain. 

When Ranma had decided to go back to China to train further in the legendary Hokuto Shin Ken, Shampoo had wished to return to their Village, for a little while anyway, and then seek out her wayward husband. But Cologne knew that would be a very bad decision to follow. She knew that Hokuto Shin Ken protected its secrets very jealously, as well as the fact that the boy took his training very seriously (It was a shame the boy was born of the wrong gender and not of the Village,she thought). To interfere in either, would be a diaster.

She, and she alone, understood that the boy was changing... Since the 'Saffron Incident,' as she thought of it, she knew that the boy had entered the realm of Warrior, leaving the world of simple Artist behind. She also knew that Time was on her side. It was obvious to her, that the others did not see the changes in the boy as she did. Nor did they ever understood him. Or that he was moving away from even the Tendo girl and the rest. It was only a matter of time, until the boy realized that he would not be able to fit into this backwards 'civilization,' and where his proper place would be.

She also knew that it was only a matter of Time until the boy returned. In the meantime, she had an opportunity to secure a possible secondary location for her people as well as give Shampoo some experience in dealing with backwards cultures that existed outside their world. That the various gangs had come to Nerima, six months after the boy's departure, were, for the most part, just nuisances, fit only for Shampoo to hone her martial arts skill that she had been neglecting in her pursuit of the boy.

* * *

The day had started off pretty well, Shampoo dealt swiftly with the three gangsters that had foolishly came to harass them and their business. Mousse had gotten the dining room ready for the early lunch crowd on time, and the customers gave good tips that morning. That the Nekohanten was one of the few restaurants that were open in Nerima, as well as the fact, that even Mousse could easily deal with the gangsters, kept the business coming. Many people had come to the Nekohanten simply for the 'safe haven' it 'provided,' assuming that one paid for the food and drink and did not loiter around. 

It was during the beginning of the lunch-crowd when Cologne's senses noted that someone unusual entered the Nekohanten. Spying from the kitchen, she noted the stranger as she was seated by Mousse. Just went to show how backwards this place was as many of the foolish girls seem to take a (mysterious to her) interest in 'Mister Part-Timer.' Although, this stranger did not have the look of the locals, in fact, she seemed familiar. Her moments were economical of one that studied the Martial Arts for some time, and she had the feel of one that was used to truly fighting, not like those around here. Even after dealing, poorly but still dealing, with the local gangs, there was still a lack of understanding, she felt, among the locals as to what was truly going on.

It was not until Shampoo started to curse at the stranger, in Chinese, and attack her that Cologne finally placed her. She quickly went out into the dining room to stop the fighting before they broke anything valuable, by simply saying, "Enough," in Chinese. She noted that while Shampoo was slightly winded with a scowl expression on her face, while Yukiko, for that was who it was, merely had a small smirk on her face.

She found herself frowning at the scene before her. Of what she recalled, Yukiko was a Joketsuzoku Amazon Warrior of the same generation as Shampoo, but of a family that did not follow all of the Old Ways, hence, so-called 'modern Names' they gave their children. In the tournament that had named Shampoo the Village Champion, Yukiko had only came in fifteenth place, last of her age group, and only barely able to defeat those younger then herself. A disgrace, to Amazon Tradition, but one that Yukiko and her family did not seem to share, much to her and the Council's annoyance. That she was here, in Nerima, was greatly puzzling...

Yukiko only gave a slightly insulting, small bow of acknowledgment towards Cologne, and handed her four scrolls, all bearing the Mark of the Council.

Cologne puzzlement grew. She could not think of any reason why the Council would send the young rebel to deliver scrolls to her. In fact, the only reason the Council would even acknowledge one such as she would be to banish her, never to send any correspondence to one such as her. It bordered on an insult to her station. Still, the Marks were legitimate, she could feel the ki that was used by the Council to seal them.

She read the first scroll. The first scroll was a simple Council degree that the boy was exempted from the Outsider Marriage Law. She knew after the boy had survived his encounter with the phoenix-god Saffron that such a degree was forthcoming. She was ashamed of the lack of Warrior spirit, but then she was the only true Warrior on the Council, so it was expected.

The second scroll came only as a mild shock, while it was not unheard of, it was still a very rare occurrence, when the Council would confer the status of Warrior upon a male. Having defeated both Saffron and Shin, it was only logical. Even if the only prior occurrence was in her great-grandmother's time. Unfortunately, it did remove her last ace she had in regards to the boy, since it allowed the boy to legally use the techniques she had taught him. She had hoped to use them to lure the boy into her grabs, if Shampoo failed to do so, and bind him to her Village.

The third scroll, she had to read over and over several times to make sure her eyes were not playing tricks on her. Such a thing was without precedence... That... That a mere boy was given and acknowledged as a... she could not even think the word... it was such a foreign concept to her... It was unheard of, period, in her entire History... there was never a... even the title 'Matriarch' was reserved only for full-out War-Time, or the founding of a new Tribe within the Nation... but to give the title to a boy... and accept a bunch of... bunch of rebellious, foolish children their own independent Tribe...

"Great-Grandmother," Shampoo's worried and nervous voice cut into her dark musing. Before she could reprimand her grand-daughter for her outburst, she felt a bit of a stinging sensation in her hand. Looking done, she noted that her ki had set the scroll on fire and she had burned herself like some novice warrior. The smirk on Yukiko's face just added to her annoyance. Assuming the Soul of Ice, she was able to clear her expression and control her emotion. Still, words failed her.

With humor at Cologne's outburst in her voice, Yukiko said, "I have done my duty to my Patriarch."

* * *

Shampoo could only stare at the spot that Yukiko had just left. She was very confused and a bit scared. She knew that Yukiko was not much of a Warrior, her great-grandmother and all would confirm that time and time again, but no Warrior would leave without their War-Mistress's permission. It just was not done. And then she used that weird word 'patriarch', which she was sure she never heard of before. It sounded foreign to her. 

And then there was her great-grandmother... Her hand was on fire and for the first time, she could recall, ever, she saw her great-grandmother loss control of her ki and emotions.

* * *

Cologne calmed herself and thought over the scrolls once more in a more rational mind-set. Then she began to laugh... long and loud. The fool thought he had gotten away from her. She will show him his folly. Sure, it would be more difficult now, with other Amazons allowed onto the field, but she will, in the end, be the victor. It will be she, and she only, that will take the foolish boy into her tribe and learn the secrets of Hokuto Shin Ken. 

All the foolish boy did was open the playing field. The foolish boy did not know he was 'protected' under the Outsider Laws, that only Shampoo would be involved. Hence, why she, herself, had only acted indirectly until now. Now, any Amazon, who wished to, could claim the boy for their husband.

It was too bad her child-rearing days were over...

* * *

Ukyou Kuonji was happy. All her work since Ranma had left was paying off handsomely. She knew that Ranma would be gone for some time and planned accordingly. 

She set herself a few goals to accomplish while he was away. First, she went on a few of her own training trips, to prefect her family's Okonomiyaki Martial Arts School. During which, she scouted out some possible locations for expansion or relocation as she might need.

After a year or so, she managed to secure a shop for a new Ucchan's, but it was on the other side of Tokyo, all the way in the Juuban Ward. Seeing how she could not be in two different places at the same time, she had trained Konatsu Kenzan in her Okonomiyaki Martial Arts School. After a few months, he had mastered enough that she felt comfortable enough to allow him to run her original shop so she could concentrate on the new shop.

Having graduated from High School had freed up a lot of her time, and allowed her to expand and truly plan out her new shop in Juuban. She had desired to have a true restaurant, dedicated to Okonomiyaki, where a family could go and enjoy themselves in peace and quiet. Ucchan's in Nerima could only handle a few customers at a time, which was fine while she was in school and her time and energy limited, but she had always wanted more. And she found that in Juuban.

Ucchan's in Juuban took over a year, setting up the place to her liking, finding and training a staff to run it with her, and getting the shop off the ground. She even managed to talk her father into helping her, and in doing so, got reacquainted with her father, after their long estrangement. It was slow and awkward at first, but with time and success of the restaurant, they had gotten over the difficulties of the past.

She received reports from Konatsu, on a regular schedule, about what was known of Ranma and what was happening with the Nerima Wrecking Crew. She was a bit embarrassed that she and the others had been called that. And of course, by the time those stories reached Juuban they were blown completely out of proportion. Those stories made it sound like their lives was some type of manga or something. After several months of such stories, she gave up listening to any more, just reading whatever Konatsu sent her.

So she did not give it much mind when the stories of gang violence and such started in Nerima. That was until she returned once to check on Konatsu.

Fortunately, her decision to train more, saved her.

She had tried to get the Nerima Wrecking Crew back together, but without Ranma there, it was not possible. The Amazons were uninterested in the affairs of the Nerima, Ryouga was out looking for Ranma (and have not been seen since), Kodachi was said to searching as well for Ranma, while Tatewaki was off to college, and Akane...

Akane Tendo was a shock. She did not know the specifics, no one did. But still...

It was only then that she realized that the troubles of Nerima were so great.

But.

But she knew that when her Ranchan came back, he would set things back to the way things were.

In the meantime, she would spend more time with her father and making her shop in Juuban more successful then the one in Nerima.

* * *

Yukiko hummed a tune she had heard as she walked towards the Nerima Hokuto Clinic. She had enjoyed herself at the Nekohanten. People like the self-righteous Cologne that lived in the Past and cared only for themselves irrated her. It was people like them that caused the Communists and the others to see the Joketsuzoku Amazons as threats, especially with their out-dated Husband Hunts and alienating any that came to the Village. They thought themselves invinciable and supreme, unable to accept that they were primitive and dying. The Communists, in truth, needed only wait three generations before the Joketsuzoku Amazons would die out on its own. But no Elder would accept that... to speak of such things, just caused 'problems.' Of course with Cologne 'out of the way,' so to speak, some progress had been made back at the Village. 

The Council saw the wisdom in not opposing either the Hokuto or Nanto, for they would not survive the encounter with either. Unfortunately, the Council, still, had to 'play' their games, and hopefully, not bring ruination upon them all.

Either way, she was through with all that non-sense.

Under her Patriarch, she and her fellow 'rebels' could revitalize the Amazon Nation, restore it to its original form: equality for all, regardless of gender or occupation; return to Nature and harmony; and helping one simply because it was the humane thing to do.

Life was good.

And having a very handsome hunk of a Patriarch was just an extra bonus.

* * *

Yukiko's smile let everyone know at the Nerima Hokuto Clinic that Cologne had received the scrolls from the Amazon Council. Many got a chuckle out of Cologne's lost of control like a First-Year Warrior over what the scrolls contained.

* * *

Ranma asked her, "The scrolls were deliveried, Yukiko-chan?" 

"Hai, Lord Ranma-sama," was her replied. "As expected, she did not like them."

"Like them or not," Ranma remarked. "As long as she stands by the Amazon Council's treaty, we will have one less problem to do with."

Many of the former Amazons nodded their headed in agreement.

End of Part 4


End file.
